(BLOODY ISLAND) Bloody Island is a towhead or river island, it is located on the Mississippi River in East St. Louis Illinois. It’s coordinates 38* 38′ 18′ N- 90* 10′ 26′ W , for those of you keeping score. It is the neutral ground, between Illinois and Missouri, the site of many deadly and notorious duels in the 19th Century, including Thomas Hart Benton against Charles Lucas. Let’s row to it’s history and lore. 
(A DUEL TO REMEMBER) The Island is full of death and stories of why, let’s take a look at just one of it’s insane stories. Meet Thomas Hart Benton, Born March 14, 1782 in Harts Mill North Carolina- Died April 10, 1858 aged 76 years in Washington D.C. Benton served as a Lt. Colonel in the U.S. Army from 1812 till 1815. He also held the following offices, Missouri State Senator 8/10/1821-1851, Missouri House of Representatives Dist.1 3/4/1853- 3/3/1855, Tennessee Senate 1809- 1811 known as ” Old Bullion” you can see he was a busy man. so what the hell happen to bring this man to aim a pistol at another man and pull the trigger. First who was on the other end of that pistol that dreary day. Lucas was born in Pittsburgh and moved to St. Louis, in 1805. A college degree from Jefferson College in 1810.
Lucas brought a considerable amount land including buying most of the land in the wake of the New Madrid earthquake in 1811. He also received a large land grant in Normandy in what is now suburban St. Louis.
He also was a law partner with Rufus Easton in St. Louis & St. Charles. He joined a volunteer Army unit in the War of 1812. After the war he served on the Legislature of the Missouri Territory. 
Code Duello: [Codes duello regulate dueling and thus help prevent vendettas between families and other social factions. They ensure that non-violent means of reaching agreement be exhausted and that harm be reduced, both by limiting the terms of engagement and by providing medical care. Finally, they ensure that the proceedings have a number of witnesses. The witnesses could assure grieving members of factions of the fairness of the duel, and could help provide testimony if legal authorities become involved.] In August 1817 Lucas and Benton as attorneys were opposite sides of a court case and accused each other of lying. When they encountered each other again in an August 1817 election, the 24-year-old Lucas challenged whether 35-year-old Benton owned property and could legally vote. Benton replied he owned slaves and paid taxes on them and could vote and then called Lucas according to one version an “insolent puppy.” Another slightly different witness account said Benton told the judges, “Gentlemen, if you have any questions to ask, I am prepared to answer, but I do not propose to answer charges made by any puppy who may happen to run across my path.”
Lucas challenged Benton on August 11 to a duel with a note, “I am informed you applied to me on the day of the election the epithet of ‘Puppy.’ If so I shall expect that satisfaction which is due from one gentleman to another for such an indignity.” The challenge arrived to Benton after he had spent the night at the wake of his dead friend Edward Hempstead. Benton accepted but said that he wanted to complete the funeral. The terms of the duel called for it to be held at 6 a.m. and the shots to be fired from 30 feet.
The two met on August 12, 1817 on Bloody Island. Lucas was shot in the neck and Benton was shot below the right knee. Lucas was unable to continue, and Benton subsequently released Lucas from an obligation to continue the duel. Rumors circulated questioning Benton’s motives and whether Benton had deliberately set the duel rules so they were farther apart. On September 23 Benton challenged Lucas to a rematch, saying “When I released you from your engagement to return to the island, I yielded to a feeling of generosity in my own bosom, and to a sentiment of deference to the judgment of others. From the reports which now fill the country it would seem that yourself and some of your friends have placed my conduct to very different motives. The object of this is to bring these calumnies to an end, and to give you an opportunity of justifying the great expectation which has been excited. Colonel Lawless will receive your terms, and I expect your distance not to exceed 9 feet.”
Lucas who had been in Cape Girardeau received the note on September 26 and agreed to the duel on September 27 on Bloody Island. He died within an hour after being shot. Benton extended his hand to Lucas and Lucas replied “I forgive you.” Lucas’ second for both duels was Joshua Barton, who would later also die in a duel on the island.
Four of Lucas’ brothers were to die violently. Lucas’ land went to a brother and sister and much of the land in Normandy was to wind up in the hands of explorer Wilson Price Hunt. There are some many other tales of duels on bloody Island stay tuned in the 3Rd Floor Podcast available everywhere @Anchor @Spotify iTunes listeners please leave a 5 star review and leave a comment like hello ,, till next time……..